3 years ago
52 
IYC
…urge FG to licence local refineries to support nation’s production capacity
By Samuel Oyadongha
YENAGOA -THE Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) worldwide has thrown its weight behind the move by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to reject the Federal Government planned removal of petroleum subsidy and increase the price of fuel pump price to N234 per litre.
It described the proposed increase in fuel price as a sign of failed and inconsistent economic policies of President Muhammadu Buhari administration and deliberate attempt to worsen the misery of Nigerians including the institutionalization of poverty, unnemployment and insecurity.
READ ALSOOmo-Agege cautions APC against past PDP mistakes
The IYC through its National Spokesman, Ebilade Ekerefe in a statement issued in Yenagoa, argued that the claim by the Federal Government that the N120 billion monthly subsidy for the estimated 60 million litres of petrol the country consumes daily is not feasible adding that the people of the Niger Delta should be allowed to explore and refine their oil in order to produce what they can consume in the region and bring down the .
Ekerefe noted that the insincerity of the present administration is glaring in the inconsistencies in governance with huge cost of spending and wasteful allocation of resources among the three tier of government to the detriment of the Nigerian people.
”Government is embarking on an economically devastating mission with the continuous drama on the pump price of petrol.
” The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) worldwide is ready to call out its members to support the NLC in whatever actions deemed fit.
“We also warn that despite our support to the Labour leaders, we will not condone the deceitful collusion of the past between the Labour leaders and the agents of government to deceive and force pump price on Nigerians,” he said.
Ekerefe called on the President Buhari administration “to admit failure and approve the local refinery efforts of the people of the Niger Delta as another means of reducing economic burden, improve employment and ensure increase participation of the people of the region in oil exploration and bring down the high price of fuel.
“Most of the policies within the oil and gas sector are meant to impoverished Nigerians. Instead of embarking on wasteful spending on the repairs of moribund refineries which would be used as a conduit pipe by some politicians in the country, the Federal Government could have been well advised to accelerate building of modular refineries and local participation in crude oil refining which have been tested and trusted among the people of the Niger Delta region.
“Even if the subsidy are to be totally stopped, there should have been a deliberate policy from a responsible and responsive government that more modular refineries and local refineries from the Niger Delta region should have been approved and established to reduce theft, diversion and increase local production and refining outside the country. And it will free capital resources towards development.”
